Boiler-feed system



411848, 1944- R.4R. WTERMAN '2,355,125

' BOILER-FEED SYSTEM- M INVENTOR Russell R. wafer/nan Filed oct. so,r194:2

. wr f Patented ug. 8, 1944 Y UNITED STATES PATENT LO'FFICEL f v2,355,125 f l i l BOILER-FEED SYSTEM Russell R. Waterman, Lodi, Galif.Application October 30, 1942, Serial No. y163,886

2 Claims.

This invention relates to a water feeding system for steam boilers ofany type, and particularly for boilers of the so-called flash type,whose water holding capacity is so limited that water must be constantlysupplied as long as the. steam is being taken from the boiler.

My main object is to provide a water feed system so arranged that waterfrom any sourceeither the condensate from the engine or other steamconsuming agent or from an independent supply-will be automatically fedto the boiler whenever steam is being drawn therefrom, and in directproportion to the volume of steam being drawn.

My improved system includes a single pump which not only sets up acirculation through the boiler., as is desirable, but also feeds waterfrom an outside source to the boiler, thus serv- Aing all needs with aminimum of mechanism.

A further object of the invention is to produce a simple and inexpensivesystem and yet one which will be exceedingly effective for the purposefor which it is designed.

The above and other objects I accomplish by means 4of such structure andrelative arrangement of parts asV will fully appear `by a perusal of thefollowing specification and claims.

In the drawing similarcharacters Vof reference indicate correspondingparts in the several views:

Figure 1 is a diagram showing my improved boiler feed system.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary section showing the restricted-flow orificefor the steam unit of the feed pump.

Figure 3 is a sectional elevation of the preferred form of steam controlor relief valve.

Referring now more particularly to the characters of reference on thedrawing, the numeral I denotes the boiler generally, which in the formhere shown includes a steam generating coil 2 and which is heated bysuitable means here shown as a gas burner 3.

Outside the boiler is the waterY feed steam pump 4 of suitable type,which includes a steam operated driving member 5 and a pumping member 6.A water inlet pipe I leads to the pumping member 6 from any source ofwater supply, while an outlet pipe 8 leads from the member 6 to the coil2.

The iiow of gas to burner 3 is preferably controlled by water conditionsin the boiler and pipe 8 by means of a low-water fuel shut-off device 9of suitable character interposed in pipe 8, which actuates theishut-offvvalveulll infthe 'gasleed 11.11 .H Y c y The steam or outlet Vpipe I2.from coil 2 ex- .tends outwardly from the lboiler acertain Adis.-

tance, and at its .outer end is connected with another pipe l I3 whichpreferably leads back into the boiler above coil`2 and there yconnectswith an equalizing coil I4. A final 'steam 4pipe I5 leads from coil I4to the vsteam engineer `other consumer or worksuch asa tire mold. Amanually operated throttle valve I6 is interposed at a suitable point inthe. steam outlet line, being here shown in pipe lli.y An adjustablepressure relief or control valve I'I., preferably of. special type ashereinafterV described, is interposed in pipe I2 preferably adjacent itsconnection with pipe I3.

Steam to operate member 5 -of `vthe steam pump is conveyedtheretothrough a pipe I 8 connected to pipe I2 between coil 2and-relief' valve I1; lsaid pipe I8 havingarestricted orifice I9suitably formed therein adjacent member 5, as shown in Fig. 2. Theexhaust pipe20 from member 5 connects with pipe` I3.

The valve I'l `preferably .comprises afvertical tubular body 2'I,rthelower."portion ofwhich is finned as atl 22 ,for heat radiation.j'Ihev'portion of pipe I2 directly leading from the *boiler is connectedto the upperor inlet end,` of Abody 2|, the outlet portion of said pipebeyondthe valve being connectedto'one side Aof body 2l somedistancebelow the inlet portion. A'spool-like piston or plunger 23 is slidablein the body, normally engaging a seat 24 or other suitable stop formedon the lower end of the inlet portion of pipe I2, and being yieldablyheldin such position by a compression spring 25 in the body below theplunger. The spring at its lower'end engages an adjustable sealing plug26 screwed in the lower end of the body, so that the spring may be setto offer a varying amount of resistance to further compression. Theplunger is ported from its lower end to its central or reduced portionas at 21 so that steam from the outlet portion of pipe I2-which opensinto the body at the normal position of said central portion of theplunger-may pass into the spring chamber below the plunger. Such steamwill there condense, due to the cooling action of fins 22, and willretain the spring immersed in a relatively cool medium, thus preventingthe spring from losing its temper.

In operation, it will be seen that by reason of the above describedarrangement and even though the steam line to the pump is always valveI'I is therefore set to allow the main flow.

of steam in pipe I2 to enter pipe I3 only at its initial pressure lessthat of the exhaust from'the pump, or in this instance not more than230` pounds.

As a result, a substantially constant steam-quality condition, as may bebest suited for proper operation, is maintained in the boilerirrespective of the throttle setting.

Thus the viscosity or quality of the steam drawn from the boiler, andwhich determines the rate of depletion of water from the boiler, alsodetermines the amount of water fed to the boiler to maintain the steamgenerating coil in proper heat and water balance.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that I haveproduced such a system as substantially fullls the objects of theinvention as set forth herein.

`While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferredconstruction of the sys- By so doing, the steam from the pump A is madeavailable for further work without the loss of its latent heat content,and at the same time, the higher pressure steam is not backing upagainst the exhaustl of the pump to interfere with its operation. Also,without this feature, and if allsteam were passed through the pump,either the -boiler would vtend toblow up or the pump would have to be ofsuch large capacity as to be entirely disproportionate to the needs.

The restricted orifice I9 in the high pressure steam line at the pump isan important feature in providing for the proper operation ofthe pumpaccording to steam conditions within the boiler. If the throttle isVopened when the quality of the steam is low or wet (showing excesswater content) the flow through the orifice I9 is naturally slow andsluggish since the viscosity of the steam is then relatively high. Thiswill cause the pump to operate very slowly so that in a given timecomparatively little water is supplied to the boiler. However duringthistime a full volume or capacity of steam is being drawn from theboiler. The portion of such volume which'do'es not pass through the pumpmember 5`for driving the same, necessarily passes through the reliefvalve I'I and out to the work through pipe I5.'

The steam being drawn olf being wet, the boiler becomes rapidly drainedofjwater due to the accompanying slowpump operation. As a resultthe-boiler tends to dry yout andthe quality of the steam becomes high ordry. The pump then operates faster on this'steam due to dry quality andcorrespondingly low viscosity. Water in greater quantity is thensupplied to the boiler, tending to again lower the quality of the steam.

tem, still in practice such deviations from such detail may be resortedto as do not form a departure from the spirit of the invention, as denedby the appended claims.

Having .thus described my invention, what I claim as new and useful anddesire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A boiler feed-water supply system comprising a steam pump having itspumping end drawing from an outside source of supply and delivering tothe boiler, a steam outlet line from the boiler, a throttle valve in theline, the pump including a steam operating member, an inlet pipe leadingfrom the line to the member, an outlet pipe leading from said memberback to the line, and a pressure control valve in the line between theconnection of said pipes therewith set to resist a predeterminedpressure; there being a restricted orifice in the inlet pipe of a sizeto affect the velocity of the steam passing therethrough to theoperating member of the pump according to the viscosity of the steam,

2. A boiler feed-water supply system comprising a steam pump having itspumping end drawing from an outside source of supply and delivering tothe boiler, the pump including a steam operating member, a steam outletline from the boiler having connection with the inlet and exhaust ofsaid member and a throttle valve in the line whereby the functioning ofthe pump is controlled by the throttle setting; there being a restrictedorifice in the inlet pipe of a size to affect -the velocity of the steampassing therethrough to the operating member of the pump according tol*the viscosity of the steam.

RUSSELL R. WATERMAN.

